Liquid cooling device

ABSTRACT

A liquid cooling device includes a liquid block, a heat-dissipating plate, a thermal-conductive pipe, a pump and a heat sink. The liquid block, the pump, and the heat sink are connected by ducts. The pump drives a coolant to circulate among them. The thermal-conductive pipe is mounted on the heat-dissipating plate. Both ends of the thermal-conductive pipe are connected to the liquid block for the coolant to flow through. The liquid block and the heat sink are respectively mounted on the corresponding electronic devices to absorb heat using the circulating coolant. The heat sink is used to dissipate heat from another heat-generating electronic device. Therefore, one less liquid block is required, and the production cost becomes lower.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a liquid cooling device and, in particular, toa liquid cooling device for several electronic devices.

2. Description of Related Art

As modern computers have to process very complicated processes, itsinternal circuit design also becomes more complicated. Variouselectronic devices therein produce heat during their operations.Therefore, a liquid cooling device has been introduced. The liquidcooling device includes several liquid blocks, one pump and one heatsink. The liquid blocks are filled with a coolant and directly disposedon electronic device for absorbing heat from them. The liquid blocks arein fluid communications with the pump and the heat sink via ducts.Therefore, the pump operates to make the coolant circulate in the liquidblocks. The coolant thus exchanges heat with the liquid blocks. Afterthe coolant absorbs the heat accumulated on the heat sink, it flows backto the liquid blocks for heat exchange.

From the above explanation, it is seen that the existing liquid block isdesigned for a single electronic device of a particular size. Todissipate heat generated by several electronic devices on a motherboard, the liquid cooling device has to have several liquid blocksrespectively disposed on the electronic devices. However, thiscomplicates the assembly and increase the production cost. It istherefore imperative to make a further improvement in the current liquidcooling device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the invention is to provide a liquid cooling device fordissipating heat produced by several heat-generating electronic devices.

The disclosed liquid cooling device includes: a liquid block, aheat-dissipating plate, a highly thermal-conductive pipe, a pump, and aheat sink. The liquid block is filled with a coolant therein anddisposed on a heat-generating electronic device to absorb. Theheat-dissipating plate is disposed on another heat-generating electronicdevice to absorb heat. The highly thermal-conductive pipe is connectedwith the heat-dissipating plate and in communications with the liquidblock for the coolant to flow through. The highly thermal-conductivepipe has a high thermal conductivity. Therefore, it has better heatabsorbing/dissipating ability. The pump is in fluid communications withthe liquid block via a duct. The heat sink is in fluid communicationswith the pump and the liquid block via ducts.

Using the above-mentioned technical means, the invention only needs oneliquid block, along with the heat-dissipating plate and the highlythermal-conductive pipe, to dissipate heat produced by the twoheat-generating electronic devices. It can simultaneously water-coolthem. The invention does not only reduce the cost by using one lessliquid block, but also simplifies the duct connection among thecomponents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an operational plan view of a liquid cooling device inaccordance with the present invention been used on a north bridge chipand a south bridge chip on a motherboard;

FIG. 2 is an exploded operational view of the liquid cooling device inaccordance with the present invention been used on the north bridge chipand the south bridge chip;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid cooling device inaccordance with the present invention used on the north and south bridgechips on the motherboard; and

FIG. 4 is another cross-sectional view of the liquid cooling device inaccordance with the present invention used on the north and south bridgechips on the motherboard.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference FIG. 1, a liquid cooling device in accordance with thepresent invention is mounted on a mother board 10. The mother board 10is mounted with several electronic devices such as a south bridge chip11 and a north bridge chip 12. The liquid cooling device includes aliquid block, a heat-dissipating plate 30, a highly thermal-conductivepipe 40, a pump 50 and a heat sink 60.

The liquid block is filled with a coolant and mounted on the northbridge chip 12 to absorb heat thereof. In this embodiment, the liquidblock includes a body 21 and a separator 22.

The body 21 is mounted on the north bridge chip 12 and comprises a capbeing mounted on a bottom board. The cap can be integrally formed withthe bottom board. The separator 22 is formed inside the cap to separatean inner space of the cap into two chambers 211. Further, with multipleheat-dissipating fins 212 are formed on the bottom board within the twochambers 211. The outer surface of the body 21 is formed with four fluidinlets/outlets 213 that are in fluid communications with thecorresponding chamber 211 in pairs.

The bottom surface of the heat-dissipating plate 30 is in contact withthe south bridge chip 11 for absorbing heat generated by the southbridge chip 11. In this embodiment, the heat-dissipating plate 30comprises a bottom plate 31 and a fixing plate 32.

With further reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, the bottom plate 31 has a bottomsurface in direct contact with the south bridge chip 11. A top surfaceof the bottom plate 31 is formed with two parallel grooves 311. Bothsides of the top surface of the bottom plate 31 are provided withseveral heat-dissipating fins 312. The top surface of the bottom plate31 is formed with several screw holes 313 between the grooves 31 and theheat-dissipating fins 312.

The fixing plate 32 is mounted on the top surface of the bottom plate31. A bottom surface of the fixing plate 32 is formed with concaveportions 321 corresponding to the grooves 311 of the bottom plate 31, sothat an accommodating space is formed between the concave portions 321and the corresponding grooves 311. The fixing plate 32 is formed withseveral screw holes 322 corresponding to the screw holes 313 on thebottom plate 31. Screws are then used to lock the fixing plate 32 on thebottom plate 31.

The highly thermal-conductive pipe 40 is made of a material with a highthermal conductivity. Therefore, the thermal-conductive pipe 40 hasbetter heat absorbing/dissipating ability. In this embodiment, thehighly thermal-conductive pipe 40 has a U shape configuration with twoparallel parts correspondingly mounted on the grooves 311 of theheat-dissipating plate 30. One end of the highly thermal-conductive pipe40 is connected with the liquid block, in fluid communications with thefluid inlet/outlet 213 of one of the chambers 211, so that the coolantthus can flow into the chamber 211. The other end of the highlythermal-conductive pipe 40 is connected with the liquid block, in fluidcommunications with the fluid inlet/outlet 213 of the other chamber 211,so that the coolant can flow into the other chamber 211.

The pump 50 is connected onto the liquid block via a duct 51 with thefluid inlet/outlet 213 that is in fluid communications with one of thechambers 211, so that the coolant can flow into the chamber 211 in theliquid block.

The heat sink 60 is connected with the pump 50 and onto the liquid blockwith the fluid inlet/outlet 213 in communication with the other chamber211 via two ducts 61, respectively. The pump 50 drives the coolant tocirculate among the liquid block, the heat-dissipating plate 30, thehighly thermal-conductive pipe 40, and the pump 50, and the heat sink60.

When the pump 20 is running, the coolant is driven to circulate in thepump 50, the heat sink 60, the liquid block, the heat-dissipating plate30, the highly thermal-conductive pipe 40, and ducts 51, 61. Thus, thecoolant flowing through the liquid block and the highlythermal-conductive pipe 40 absorbs heat accumulated on the liquid blockand the heat-dissipating plate 30. As the coolant absorbed with the heatflows through the heat sink 60, the heat is dissipated. The coolant thencirculates back to the liquid block and the heat-dissipating plate 30 todissipate heat on the south and north bridge chips 11, 12.

In summary, the invention uses a heat-dissipating plate and a liquidblock to concurrently absorb heat generated by several heat-generatingelectronic devices. The heat-dissipating fins and the highlythermal-conductive pipe on the heat-dissipating plate can furtherenhance the heat dissipating effect. In comparison with the conventionalliquid cooling device, the invention uses one less liquid block toreduce the production cost. Moreover, it simplifies the connectionsamong various components.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same maybe varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as adeparture from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all suchmodifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intendedto be included within the scope of the following claims.

While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms ofthe preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention isnot limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it isintended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements aswould be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope ofthe appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so asto encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.

1. A liquid cooling device comprising: a liquid block filled with acoolant for mounting on an electronic device to absorb heat; aheat-dissipating plate for mounting on another electronic device toabsorb heat; a thermal-conductive pipe connected between theheat-dissipating plate and the liquid block and in fluid communicationswith the liquid block for the coolant to flow through; a pumpcommunicating with the liquid block; and a heat sink communicating withthe pump and the liquid block.
 2. The liquid cooling device as claimedin claim 1, wherein the heat-dissipating plate includes: a bottom platehaving a bottom surface in contact with the electronic device and havinga top surface formed with two parallel grooves; a fixing plate mountedon the top surface of the bottom plate and formed with concave portionscorresponding to the grooves on the bottom plate so that anaccommodating space is formed between the concave portions and thegrooves for the thermal-conductive pipe.
 3. The liquid cooling device asclaimed in claim 2, wherein the thermal-conductive pipe has a U shapeconfiguration with two parallel portions respectively mounted on thecorresponding grooves of the heat-dissipating plate, thereby fixed bythe concave portions of the fixing plate and the corresponding grooves.4. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the fixingplate is mounted to the top surface of the bottom plate of theheat-dissipating plate by screws.
 5. The liquid cooling device asclaimed in claim 1 wherein the top surface of the bottom plate of theheat-dissipating plate is further provided with a plurality ofheat-dissipating fins on both sides of the bottom plate.
 6. The liquidcooling device as claimed claim 2 wherein the top surface of the bottomplate is further provided with a plurality of heat-dissipating fins onboth sides of the bottom plate.
 7. The liquid cooling device as claimedin claim 3 wherein the top surface of the bottom plate is furtherprovided with a plurality of heat-dissipating fins on both sides of thebottom plate.
 8. The liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 4 whereinthe top surface of the bottom plate is further provided with a pluralityof heat-dissipating fins on both sides of the bottom plate.
 9. Theliquid cooling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the liquid blockincludes: a body mounted on the electronic device and has two chambers,a plurality of heat-dissipating fins formed in the two chambers, andfour fluid inlets/outlets formed on an outer surface of the body and influid communications with the corresponding chambers in pairs; and aseparator mounted in the body between the two chambers.
 10. The liquidcooling device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the liquid block includes:a body mounted on the electronic device and has two chambers, aplurality of heat-dissipating fins formed in the two chambers, and fourfluid inlets/outlets formed on an outer surface of the body and in fluidcommunications with the corresponding chambers in pairs; and a separatormounted in the body between the two chambers.
 11. The liquid coolingdevice as claimed in claim 3, wherein the liquid block includes: a bodymounted on the electronic device and has two chambers, a plurality ofheat-dissipating fins formed in the two chambers, and four fluidinlets/outlets formed on an outer surface of the body and in fluidcommunications with the corresponding chambers in pairs; and a separatormounted in the body between the two chambers.
 12. The liquid coolingdevice as claimed in claim 4, wherein the liquid block includes: a bodymounted on the electronic device and has two chambers, a plurality ofheat-dissipating fins formed in the two chambers, and four fluidinlets/outlets formed on an outer surface of the body and in fluidcommunications with the corresponding chambers in pairs; and a separatormounted in the body between the two chambers.
 13. The liquid coolingdevice as claimed in claim 5, wherein the liquid block includes: a bodymounted on the electronic device and has two chambers, a plurality ofheat-dissipating fins formed in the two chambers, and four fluidinlets/outlets formed on an outer surface of the body and in fluidcommunications with the corresponding chambers in pairs; and a separatormounted in the body between the two chambers.
 14. The liquid coolingdevice as claimed in claim 6, wherein the liquid block includes: a bodymounted on the electronic device and has two chambers, a plurality ofheat-dissipating fins formed in the two chambers, and four fluidinlets/outlets formed on an outer surface of the body and in fluidcommunications with the corresponding chambers in pairs; and a separatormounted in the body between the two chambers.
 15. The liquid coolingdevice as claimed in claim 7, wherein the liquid block includes: a bodymounted on the electronic device and has two chambers, a plurality ofheat-dissipating fins formed in the two chambers, and four fluidinlets/outlets formed on an outer surface of the body and in fluidcommunications with the corresponding chambers in pairs; and a separatormounted in the body between the two chambers.
 16. The liquid coolingdevice as claimed in claim 8, wherein the liquid block includes: a bodymounted on the electronic device and has two chambers, a plurality ofheat-dissipating fins formed in the two chambers, and four fluidinlets/outlets formed on an outer surface of the body and in fluidcommunications with the corresponding chambers in pairs; and a separatormounted in the body between the two chambers.